Victorian Novelty Enamelled Silver ""Im out for the night"" Ticket Vesta Case

A fine and rare Victorian novelty silver and enamel Vesta Case of rectangular form with sprung hinged lid and attached suspension ring. The face enameled with a label declaring the legend - ""I'M OUT FOR THE NIGHT, When I am booz'd and helplessly roam, Tie this to my coat and SEND ME HOME, Address see back"", the reverse engraved, "" J.W.Selby, Old Times Coach. 7 Edgware Road, W."

By Sampson Mordan, London 1887 and retailed by Percy Edwards of Piccadilly.

James Selby was the celebrated driver of the famous stagecoach called 'old times', which ran from Piccadilly to Virginia Water.
Selby drove his stagecoach to a relentless schedule, sometimes the sleet froze on his head and his hat had to be removed with boiling water.
In the year that he died he had won a wager against those that said he could not drive a coach from London to Brighton and back in 8 hours. Selby covered the 108 miles with 8 teams of horses and 14 changes. Averaging 13.97 miles per hour (excluding 6 minutes 12 seconds for the changes) he completed the run in 7 hours and 50 minutes. He won the sum of £1000, a huge amount in those days. Perhaps the strain was too much, after 3 days of illness he died aged only 45.
His funeral was sensational, starting from Edgeware Road the procession was nearly a mile long.


By Sampson Mordan & Co, London, 1887

Sold - £2,200.00